The present invention relates to an improved coin receiving mechanism for a vending machine and a method for operation thereof and more particularly to an improved coin receiving mechanism for a bulk vending machine for handling magnetic coins, such as the Mexican peso.
Bulk vending machines can be found in the entrance ways or lobbies of supermarkets, department stores, hardware stores, gas stations and restaurants in the United States and many foreign countries. Bulk vending machines dispense candy, nuts, gum, or other confections or toys upon the payment of an appropriate coin or coins.
A bulk vending machine typically includes a storage bin or bins for holding the confections (i.e. the bulk merchandise items), a coin receiving mechanism for receiving a coin of the proper denomination, and a bulk dispensing mechanism for dispensing a quantity of the bulk items upon the payment of a coin of the proper denomination and the actuation of the coin receiving mechanism. The coin receiving mechanism typically includes a handle to be manually rotated, a face plate, and a rearward facing gear that engages a corresponding gear of the merchandise dispensing mechanism. The coin receiving mechanism may also include a coin wheel located directly behind a face plate and connected to a rearwardly extending stem or shaft connected to the handle. The coin wheel includes a coin receiving slot sized and adapted to receive a coin of the proper denomination.
Two examples of bulk vending machines are the standard Northwestern Model 60 (M60.RTM.) and the Triple Play.RTM. which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,133 issued Mar. 2, 1993, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The coin receiving mechanism of a bulk vending machine typically incorporates features that distinguish between a coin of the proper denomination and coins of other than the proper denomination or slugs. Because bulk vending machines may be unattended, stand-alone devices and are usually not connected electrically to a power source, the coin receiving mechanism in a bulk vending machine should reliably distinguish coins of the proper denomination from coins of other than the proper denomination without relying on the provision of an external power source. Conventionally, a coin receiving mechanism uses the dimensions of the coin as a basis for acceptance or rejection. For example, a conventional coin receiving mechanism may include a receiving slot that is sized to prevent too large or wide a coin from entering. It is particularly desirable if the wrong coin can be readily expelled from the bulk vending machine without jamming the machine. Accordingly, some bulk vending machines are designed so that coins that are too small drop through the mechanism and do not allow actuation of the merchandise dispensing mechanism. The invention disclosed in Ser. No. 07/749,437 shows an improvement for a coin receiving mechanism for a bulk vending machine providing such a feature.
Although prior coin receiving mechanisms operate to distinguish between coins of different denominations when these coins are different sizes, if two coins of different denominations are very close in size, prior coin receiving mechanisms might not be able to reliably distinguish between them. Accordingly, it would be desirable in a coin receiving mechanism for a vending machine to provide a way for reliably distinguishing between similar sized coins of different denominations. Further, it would be desirable to provide a means to distinguish between such coins in a coin receiving mechanism that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain. In addition, since the overall cost of the bulk vending machine is an important factor, the coin receiving mechanism should be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.